In the Ruins
by TheTimeTraveler24
Summary: Their happily ever after wasn't so happy after all. In the face of a royally frustrating villain, they have to learn how to survive. Companion to Who They Left Behind. READ THAT FIRST.


**A/N: Read _Who They Left Behind_ first!**

* * *

Once upon a time, long, long ago… well, more like eight years ago… Prince, soon to be King, Ben, son of Belle and the Beast, made a royal proclamation to bring four children from the Isle of the Lost to Auradon Prep to give them a chance. He picked Carlos, son of Cruella de Vil; Jay, son of Jafar; Evie, daughter of Evil Queen; and Mal, daughter of Maleficent. Yeah, so completely taking advantage of that, the four villains instructed their children to steal Fairy Godmother's wand. Along the way, the four kids realized they had a choice and they chose to be good unlike their parents.

Fast forward a little bit and King Ben's girlfriend, Mal, was finding it too hard to be the perfect Lady of the Court. She ran back to the Isle, Ben donned a leather jacket to go get her, and Uma, daughter of Ursula, kidnapped Ben. Again with the wand stealing. So Jay and Carlos gave the sea witch's offspring a fake and one sword fight and musical number later, the four VKs and Ben were safely on their way back to Auradon. Uma snuck out, and long story short, Mal turned into a dragon to defeat her and she and Ben confirmed their love of one another.

Fast forward even more… Ben proposed to Mal! Audrey, still bitter about that broke into the Museum and stole the Queen's crown and Maleficent's scepter, and put a sleeping curse on Auradon. Mal teamed up with Uma to defeat her, and realized it was time for the barrier to come down. Yeah, so once that happened, everything seemed to be going smoothly. Most of the really bad villains stuck to the Isle in fear of a harsher imprisonment.

Hang on, you're about to find out what happened to ruin the peace. But first, this happened.

* * *

"You look beautiful," Evie said with a smile as she put the last finishing touches on Mal's dress.

Mal stared at her reflection and inhaled deeply. "Evie, I don't think I can do this. I'm going to trip or something! Why does it have to be in front of the whole kingdom?"

Evie placed her hands on Mal's shoulders and looked her square in the eye. "You are going to be fine. You are the daughter of Maleficent. Besides, who cares? Ben loves you no matter what!"

A knock on the door. "Evie? Is Mal ready?"

"Come in!" Evie called eagerly.

Belle entered the room and gasped when she saw Mal. "You look beautiful, Mal! Evie did a wonderful job."

Mal laughed. "Yeah, I think she did." Mal's wedding dress was pure white. The skirt puffed out in a ballgown design and barely touched the floor. The bodice of the dress was covered in silvery jewels. The sleeves, back, and neckline were see through, and the sleeves were accented with the same jewels as well as rhinestones. "Dizzy did my hair though," Mal added. The hairstyle she was sporting was nearly identical to the one she had for the end of Cotillion, but part of her hair was twisted into an elegant knot to hold her veil.

"I'm so excited," Belle said with a smile. She looked at both the girls. "I know it wasn't the best start, but I am so very glad to have met you two." She hugged each girl and looked at Mal. "Are you ready?"

"I hope so," Mal said nervously. "My dad's here, right?"

"He said he would be there to walk you down the aisle," Evie said, rolling her eyes. "Everything is going to be fine, Mal! Let's get out there and get you married!"

Evie dragged her friend out the door, followed by an amused looking Belle. They met up with Hades just outside the doors to the ceremonial hall.

"I told you," Evie said looking at Mal smugly. She frowned at Hades and dusted off his shoulder. "I said keep the suit clean!" she hissed irritably. "Ugh! It's not like this is your only daughter's wedding to her true love or anything!"

Mal grinned and pushed Evie aside. "Chill, E. Get in there. Can't come down the aisle until everyone is ready."

Evie huffed, but allowed Belle to guide her into the hall.

"Thanks, dad," Mal said as soon as Evie and Belle were gone. She squeezed his hand. "I'm really glad you're doing this."

"How could I refuse," Hades said sarcastically. "I have to make up for my absence somehow apparently. It's frowned upon in Auradon for some reason."

"I wonder why," Mal laughed. She stared at the doors for a moment.

"You look amazing," Hades interrupted her thoughts. He stood there awkwardly. "Evie and Dizzy did a good job. For such an Auradonian design."

Mal held up gloved hands and wiggled her fingers. "Leather gloves. I couldn't let everyone think I'm a prissy pink princess."

"I'd like to think your mother would be proud of you," Hades said ruefully.

Mal nodded. "I'd like to think she would be too."

The doors opened and Hades offered Mal his arm. The father-daughter pair walked down the aisle towards the waiting Ben.

* * *

So once upon a time, long, long ago, Mal married Ben in front of the whole world. Yeah, so instead of a honeymoon, the newlywed King and Queen of Auradon had to finish restructuring the United States of Auradon. Building new houses, getting the villains and VKs adjusted to their new lives… basically all the boring work… and booting everyone around the Isle to fix up the homes of anyone who wanted to stay there. They kept up a few things from the original Isle. No magic. No wi-fi. But there was a way out.

Not that it mattered. The worst of the worst were the ones who kept to the Isle. The only problem was, after the initial excitement about the barrier coming down, the people of Auradon began to realize who exactly was living among them now.

* * *

"I don't know what _you're_ talking about," Uma said loudly. "My zone hasn't had any problems."

After rebuilding Auradon, the kingdom had been divided into different zones and each zone had an elected leader to represent the zone at council meetings. Uma's zone was mostly made up of her pirate crew and a majority of Isle people from her side of the Isle.

"Well we have!" Audrey declared irritably. "All we want is something to keep everyone calm and stop the villains from, well, doing villain things!" She shook her head. "My parents have people in our zone calling for a curfew. A curfew! No one wants to be out late or have their children out late because of all the VKs in our area and the surrounding areas!"

Evie frowned. "To be fair, Uma's zone is pretty much all VKs. They're used to living together. What Audrey is talking about is a zone with half Auradonians and half VKs and villains. Obviously we shouldn't segregate them, but I do agree we have to do something different." She looked at Mal and Ben. "Maybe if you two visited the problem zones like that more often?"

Ben shook his head. "No, we don't need that. I don't want to seem like we're infringing on their lives. What we need is something to, I don't know, bond them?"

"Sports," Ruby, Rapunzel and Eugene's daughter, suggested. "Everyone can get behind sports. What if we had a Tourney League? Each zone has a team and they play other zone's teams."

"I like Ruby's idea," Aziz, son of Aladdin and Jasmine, said with a grin. "The council should pick the team though. My family's zone doesn't have many problems including the VKs since my dad has been able to really relate to them, but Audrey's family's zone might have issues getting the team picked fairly."

"A Tourney League sounds great," Mal agreed. "I'll put Jay and Chad in charge of that then. Ruby, can you make posters for each zone? Just advertising when and where."

"Jay and Chad will have to organize something to explain Tourney to the VKs though," Jane pointed out with a frown. "Not to be a downer, but most Auradonians, especially the ones in Audrey's zone, will think we're favoriting them."

"Not all Auradonians know how to play though," Lonnie mused. "We could make it open? We can have a section for people who have played before and a lesson for the VKs and the inexperienced Auradonians."

Evie wrote everything down. "I'll give them the list after the meeting," she assured Mal and Ben. "I wanted to address the money issue though. I mean, some VKs can't get jobs because of who their parents are and there wasn't exactly a money system on the Isle."

"She's right," Audrey said. "I mean, Evie and I have been able to set up 4 Hearts across each zone and a lot of VKs are hired for that, but I mean, they can't all work for a fashion store. Plus they are working on building their own houses, but once that's done…"

"Most VKs are out of a job," Ruby finished grimly. "Okay, well what if we tell employers like thirty percent of their employees have to be from the Isle?"

"No way!" Aziz said, shaking his head. "We can't set quotas. Okay? We help everyone from the Isle set up shop here. Lady Tremaine had a hairdressing place right? Uma, you had your mom's food place? We can set up those here."

Uma looked impressed. "I never thought about that. That's a good idea. Even if most of the customers are VKs, it's still a start."

"Dizzy already does most our hair," Evie pointed out. "Mal, you can sponsor Lady Tremaine's hair salon. I mean, everyone loves Dizzy, right?"

"That's a good idea," Ben agreed. "We should set up the Isle shops and publicly go to some of them."

"What shops do you guys remember?" Lonnie asked.

"Jafar's Junk Shop," Mal listed, "Slop Shop, Hook's Inlet, Queen of Heart's Salon, Ursula's Fish and Chips, Celia's dad had one, Curl Up & Dye, there was a cauldron repair shop, and Gaston had a dueling shop or something."

"Excellent memory!" Aziz grinned.

"I had to assist Jay a few times when he stole things for his Dad's shop," Mal said with a small smirk.

"Mostly from my mother's restaurant," Uma muttered darkly.

The doors burst open and the Auradon guards hurried in.

"What's going on?" Ben demanded as they barricaded the doors.

The guards cast a dubious glance at Audrey before looking back at Ben. "The palace is under attack, King Ben."

Mal stood up. "So why are you locking us in here?" she asked. "I can help."

"So can I," Uma added. "Maybe not powerwise, but I do know my way around a sword."

The guard answering Ben shook his head. "That would be unwise. Your presence… any VKs presence, but most especially yours would only make things worse," he told Mal.

"Who's attacking?" Audrey asked, crossing her arms. "Is it Maleficent?"

Again, the guards looked hesitant to answer.

"Spit it out!" Audrey said loudly.

"Your cousin," the guard finally said. "Ariana Rose."

Audrey fell back into her chair. "Oh my gosh. No… no, she couldn't do this. I mean, she hates Mal, sure, but she wouldn't attack the council because of that…" she trailed off and her face flushed red in embarrassment. "Is this my fault? Is this because of what _I _did?"

"No!" Lonnie said hurriedly. She looked at Jane for help.

Jane jolted. "Oh! Uh, I don't think it's because of… that. There has to be some other reason why she would attack."

"Like Audrey said," Mal said flatly. "Me. It's just an added bonus that she can knock out the sympathizing King of Auradon not to mention Aziz, Ruby, and Lonnie who are the children of the rulers of the more VK friendly zones. Uma and Evie are here too. Jane's probably good leverage to use against Fairy Godmother not to mention she's also dating a VK."

"And me?" Audrey asked, sounding like she didn't want to know.

Mal paused. "Either you'll be fine or… or she hasn't forgotten the scepter. If she's very adamantly against my mother… well, you've been… tainted by the scepter." She cocked her head to the side. "The scepter works for you," she said to herself. Louder she repeated, "Audrey, the scepter works for you!"

"So what?" Audrey snapped. "Yes, it worked for me, okay? Do you have to rub it in?"

Mal moved towards Audrey and grasped the girl's hands. "Please know that I would never suggest this if I didn't believe in you," Mal said firmly. "But I want you to call the scepter. It will listen to you. Last time it called you and it controlled you. _You_ are in control now. Call the scepter."

Audrey stared at Mal with a blank look before she took a deep breath and stood up. "Okay," she said shakily.

Mal nodded, then looked at the rest of the group. "Lonnie! Uma! Find some swords. You're the best swordswomen I know. E…" she faced Evie.

"Stay here?" Evie finished questioningly. She smiled. "Don't worry."

"I'm coming with you," Ben said to Mal leaving no room for argument. He took the sword Lonnie passed him. "Ruby, Aziz? Stay with Jane and Evie. Jane, you've been practicing, right?"

Jane looked worried, but she nodded. "My magic is getting better. I guess if it comes to it, I could probably hold my own."

Audrey exhaled and closed her eyes. Moments later her hand shot up to catch Maleficent's Scepter. A flash of light and her grey-blonde hair became pink and blue once more. She opened her eyes and smiled.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked with a teasing smile. She tossed the scepter between her hands. "I've got a cousin who needs to learn a lesson."

"Told you," Mal said smugly. She pushed past the feebly protesting guards.

"You can't go out there!"

"We're supposed to keep you safe in here."

Audrey slammed her scepter on the ground. The force pushed the guards away from the door, clearing a path. "I think we'll take the dragon protection thanks," she said brightly.

* * *

A large purple dragon rose into the sky. On the ground below, a group of odd misfits gathered to face off against their enemy.

"Back off Ariana!" Audrey shouted. She looked more dangerous than she had months earlier as the Queen of Mean.

"Well look who's back," Ariana drawled with a snort. "The Queen of Mean herself. I was surprised that you had been invited to join _King Ben's_ council. Well, not really. I mean, it's full of villains and weak minded Auradonians." She glared at Ben. "What is wrong with you? How can you trust any of them? Before those VKs came to Auradon, nothing bad ever happened. After? Two attempts on Fairy Godmother's wand! You went to the Isle of the Lost and got kidnapped by _her_!" she shrieked, pointing at Uma. "And Audrey decided to steal the Queen of Auradon's crown _and_ Maleficent's Scepter." She smirked. "I see you have it with you now. Relapse?"

Audrey yelled, and rushed at her cousin, brandishing the scepter.

Ariana quickly summoned her own scepter. "You didn't think I just attacked because I hate VKs, did you? I actually had a plan." She twirled the scepter. "Have fun, Auradon. While you still can."

* * *

One more time. Once upon a time, long, long ago, well, more like one year ago… everything changed. Ariana attacked the once and then disappeared for about a week and a half. Audrey learned how to use her newfound scepter, and Jane put more effort into her magic than ever before. Yeah, so when Ariana attacked with her army of magically conjured soldiers, Mal and Ben barricaded about half of Auradon in the castle while they and their allies waged war on Ariana. They were evenly matched and Ariana retreated into hiding again. There were small battles here and there over the next few months. Until three months ago. Three months ago marked the end of the war, and the beginning of a new hope.

* * *

"You have to promise me, E," Mal said to her best friend in the dead of night. "I need to know someone will be there to… to make sure Auradon can rise from the ruins."

"You're going to be fine," Evie said firmly. "Mal, they need you and Ben, not me."

Mal glanced over her shoulder at the sleeping figure of Ben. These days… sleep was a valuable thing. She shook her head. "I know, I know, and I don't want it to come to it, but Ben and I agree and you're the best choice."

A loud boom snapped them into action. Ben jumped up. He was already fully clothed for battle. He looked surprised at the meeting of the two girls, but seemed to understand the look Mal gave him.

"Are you ready?" he asked, looking at Mal.

Mal couldn't bring herself to look at Evie's questioning eyes. She nodded at Ben. "I have to be." She gave Evie a big hug, then moved towards Ben. "I love you," she whispered, kissing him as if it were going to be the last time.

"I love you too," Ben said when they broke apart.

The trio dashed from the room and out to the front of the castle where Audrey and Uma were waiting.

"Took you long enough," the Queen of Mean snorted.

Mal ignored the jibe. "Today's the end," she said simply.

"How do you know?" Uma asked, raised eyebrows.

"Just a feeling," Mal answered absently. Her eyes hardened. "Audrey, you're the only one so far who's been able to hold Ariana. Give her everything you've got. Uma! Anything water is our new allie. Can you consistently manipulate it yet?"

"Better when I'm in my water form," Uma said with a shrug.

Mal nodded. "Gather all the water you can and use it to make your water form the most powerful force to be reckoned with today." She set herself determinedly. "Today is the day Ariana is stopped." She looked at Evie. "Promise?"

Evie sighed. "Promise."

"Cause we're rotten," Mal said holding out a fist.

"To the core," Evie finished, putting her fist out to touch Mal's.

"Cute," Ariana's voice cut in. She sauntered up to them. She smirked at Audrey. "Hi, cuz."

Audrey gripped her scepter tight. "Last chance Ariana," she hissed. "Give up now! You've become nothing but a villain yourself!"

Ariana rolled her eyes. "No. I'm a hero. Because heroes fight the villains. Heroes make the world a better place for everyone. Even if they have to sacrifice some for the greater good." She smiled. "When I've rid Auradon of the villains, I'll be the Queen they need."

"If they want a villain for a queen, you better believe I'll give them one like they've never seen," Audrey said waving her scepter dangerously. Her eyes were set on Ariana. "Don't challenge the Queen of Mean, Ariana. It won't end well for you." She sent a blast of power from the scepter towards Ariana. Ariana was blown twenty feet back and Audrey ran after her.

"Water!" Mal shouted shoving Uma towards the sea. "Go!"

"Magic mirror sound the alarm!" Evie cried into her handheld mirror.

Seconds later a loud horn sounded across Auradon. Heroes and villains alike soon flocked to the castle. With a loud cry from Mal and a roar from Ben, they charged into battle.

It was all very hazy. The sound of the sword clanging and the shouts and screams from both sides. Then…

"You will never hurt anyone in Auradon!" Audrey screamed.

Next to her, Mal held out Hades Ember, and behind them, Uma in all her tentacle glory hovered in a giant sphere of water. Her mother's shell necklace glowed with power.

As if they had planned it, Audrey shot another blast of power at Ariana the same time Mal shot a blast of power. Uma's necklace seemed to glow brighter and brighter.

There was a bright burst of light. When the light settled, Ariana was on the ground and unmoving. Of more pressing concern was Audrey who was slumped against a rock a good ten feet back from where she had been standing. Uma had lost the tentacles and was face down on the ground.

"What happened?" Uma groaned, trying to push herself up.

Evie moved forward on instinct. She checked Ariana for a pulse, but found none. Audrey had one, but it was weak and the princess's eyes were glassy and open.

"Audrey?" Evie asked quietly. "Audrey, are you okay?"

Audrey blinked slowly and continued to stare almost as if she wasn't even seeing Evie.

"Jay!" Evie called. She looked at her friend. "Can you get Audrey to Fairy Godmother? Something's wrong with her, but I don't know what." She glanced around. "Mal? Mal? Where's Mal?"

Hours later, no such luck. Mal was missing, and so was Ben as they found out after a final headcount of survivors had taken place.

Audrey was in a vegitative state. She wasn't speaking, and she wasn't moving. Fairy Godmother hadn't been able to do anything, so Audrey had been moved into Chad Charming's house where he promised to take care of her. Celia assured Evie she would be helping Chad and bringing supplies to the house as needed.

Uma was sore and bruised, but agreed to Evie's request that she search the Isle and Auradon for any sign of Mal and Ben.

Hades had been let into the area of the final battle. He picked up his Ember and stared wordlessly at the spot Mal had been standing in. He didn't move, and the glow of his Ember seemed to fade. Evie dragged him to her cottage and gave him Mal's old room. He never protested and once he got settled into the bed, he didn't even move a muscle.

His state was not like Audrey's. Hades was voluntarily keeping still. And his condition was not looking good. His will to live was gone. His spark was gone.

Three months later, he breathed his last and passed on a now brightly glowing Ember.

* * *

So that's why I haven't given up. I'm still here and I still have the will to live. I know you're out there somewhere. And I will find you. I am Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen, and I am the new Queen of Auradon. Most importantly, I am your best friend Mal. Wherever you and Ben are, I'm coming to bring you home.

* * *

**A/N: And scene. Yeah, so this was actually suppose to be the first chapter of a new story I had the idea for, but I ended up tying it into my previous story _Who They Left Behind_.**

**That being said, I suppose both **_Who They Left Behind_** and **_In the Ruins_** are going to be prequels to the really story which I'm planning to call **_Running from Auradon_** which is going to be Mal and Ben's story, and potentially, I'll write a companion piece to tell Evie's story.**


End file.
